Regional representation on government's new export council maximises UK investment offer

By Nicky Godding

29 April 2021

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The government has announced the formation of a new Investment Council to act as an advisory body to the UK Government on foreign investment, to improve and enhance the UK’s business environment for foreign investors.

Made up of private sector senior leaders from around the globe in a variety of industries – from technology and energy to infrastructure and financial services – the Council, led by the Minister for Investment Gerry Grimstone, will cement the investor lens in the Government’s inward investment strategy.

Members will share their experiences in the UK market and views on UK competitiveness, and advise on policy and regulatory changes that could improve the attractiveness of the UK for foreign investors. The aim of the council will be to drive investment into priority areas and sectors, levelling up the whole of the UK through an investment-led recovery.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: "Together with our recently established Trade and Investment Hubs, the Investment Council and the Office for Investment signal to our global partners that the UK is ready and open for business as an independent trading nation."

The unpaid 40 Council members have been selected in strict accordance with Cabinet Office guidance covering on direct ministerial appointments, and include a number from our region.

Katherine Bennett, CBE, Senior Vice President UK , Airbus, Bristol
Marc Waters, Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Middle East & Africa, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Berkshire
Julia Prescot, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Meridiam Leisure Hotels, Reading
Alexis Dormandy, CEO, Oxford Sciences Innovation, Oxford
Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO, RWE Renewables, Swindon
Liv Garfield, CBE, CEO, Severn Trent Water, Coventry

Marc Waters, Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said:  "At this pivotal moment for the UK’s future in the global economy, the need for sustainable inward investment is more important than ever.

"It is positive to see Government increasing focus on ensuring the UK maintains its competitive advantages in the investment landscape. I look forward to working with this diverse group of business leaders to support Government efforts to bolster UK PLC.”

 Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO, RWE Renewables GmbH, added: "I am delighted to be joining the UK Investment Council. The UK is one of the key strategic markets in which RWE is committed to expanding its renewables portfolio.

"Through our investments we are dedicated to helping the UK Government achieve its target to quadruple offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts by 2030.

"The Council will help create the right framework for sustainable investment.”

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.